When 2 Plus 2 Equals 1
by Shinigami Hilde
Summary: Kikyou appears before Kagome, but it's not the girl's soul-or Inuyasha that she wants!
1. 1

**__**

When 2+2=1

Disclaimer: If I owned anything in here but the story idea, would I even be labeling anything with the blasted word: "Disclaimer?" I don't think so.

By: Shinigami Hilde

Another blasted fight, more hurt feelings and another stomp off performed by Kagome. What would this get anybody? Nothing much in the long run. So Kagome just wandered the quiet woods somewhat aimlessly, thinking things over and wondering if it could have come out any different then it had. 

Of course in her small rounds of wandering she came across the clearing with the Goshinboku tree in it. She sighed and mingled her way to its trunk, gazing up with a softness in her face that revealed she was falling into a reverie. Reaching up she ran her hand zigzagging along the flat scar of the trunk in which the hanyou boy had been pierced all of fifty years ago.

It would have been a fond memory, looking back to the day she'd woken him up, would have been one if it wasn't marred by the fact that she knew the person who'd pinned him there. She smiled, albeit warily, anyway. After all it had been her and not Kikyou who had undone the spell. It had been her that eventually gained the wild boy's full trust…Now, if only he could let go of the past…

Kagome sighed and promptly turned herself around and dropped to sit on the roots with her chin in her palms. That's what this was all about, wasn't it? Inuyasha's incapacity to get over something long since dead, and seeing something else for what it wasn't. She sighed again, feeling heavy hearted.

Turning she gazed up at the slowly darkening sky, there she spotted pale circular lights not to far off in the distance. Curiously she arched her brow and rose to investigate them. A babbling brook could be heard a little way from where she stood, and the lights seemed to originate from there.

Easily she picked her way through the brush and bramble, pushing branches and leaves aside when they got in her way. Shortly she arrived at a small but glisteningly pretty, little glade and there in the center, resting against a tree with her delicate hands lifted to catch one of the circular lights was the crimson miko, Kikyou. Kagome all but gasped.

"So you've come then?" The voice was soft and deep, like a river, and it flowed from her lips like one too. As she spoke she turned her porcelain face toward Kagome as the bluish shindamachuu danced behind her like fish in the sea obviously collecting the lights that were Kikyou's souls. 

To Kagome's surprise Kikyou smiled at her and beckoned her closer, further into the glade.

Inuyasha and the fight forgotten, Kagome stepped uneasily through the thresh hold and up to the shibito miko, her hands trembling.

"Do not be afraid, Kagome," she soothed. "I do not intend to hurt you in any way." 

Though even with this consolation from the dead woman, Kagome, somehow compelled, stepped warily up to her, kneeling before her with uncertainty in her eyes. "What-do you want?" she asked "What do you mean 'I've come?'"

Kikyou didn't answer right away. Instead she just smiled at the younger girl seated before her and bent to take the girl's hands in her own. "So impetuous Kagome…" she murmured. "One question at a time."

The green miko was perplexed to say the least. Kikyou never acted like this before…Was she planning something? What was wrong here? It really was Kikyou, she couldn't mistake that aura. "Okay…" she said slowly "What did you mean 'I've come?'" She repeated both of her brows lifting.

The red miko continued to just smile at Kagome and with a flick of her sepia colored eyes she indicated her shindamachuu and the light of the souls that floated like baubles about her. "I called you here. But I was not sure you would receive the message."

Kagome blinked nonplussed and gulped a little. "Why? What is it you want?" she asked again, looking directly into the soulless eyes of the woman in front of her.

Kikyou's smile widened at the corners just a bit, and she let her eyelids drop to half-mast. With Kagome's hands still in her own she leaned down to the other girl's ear, letting her hair fall across her shoulder so that it acted as a thick black sheet to curtain both their faces and she whispered her answer into Kagome's ear. "You…"


	2. 2

Chapter 2:

Kagome gasped a sharp with a sharp intake and pulled back from Kikyou. She stared openly at the woman her eyes wide. "I-I thought you said you weren't going to hurt me?" She all but whispered fear beginning to grip her breast.

Kikyou's smile remained in place and she leaned back almost as if to give the girl space. "It's true. I will not hurt you." She reaffirmed.

Now the young girl was more confused than ever. "Wh-what do you mean?"

In a sudden split second move the red miko yanked on Kagome's wrists, pulling her forward. The surprise of the action caused Kagome to fly right into the dead woman's arms. Her breath caught in her throat as Kikyou's arms wrapped around her, and then her cold fingers came up to the green miko's face and she dipped her down a little, smiling oddly at her.

It was all Kagome could do not to scream as she began to sweat and stare wide eyed into the pools of sepia that gazed unwavering back into her own. "Wh-what are you doing? What do you want?" she repeated unsteadily; her voice near cracking. 

Kikyou's eyes flicked across the girl's face and her smile slowly broke into a heady grin. Again she leaned down to her little 'captive' but this time Kagome felt something wet, and much like a tongue, rove across her cheek. Upon Kagome's impending gasp, Kikyou lifted her face back up coming nose-to-nose with her so-said reincarnation. "My dear, little Kagome…" she whispered "If you are to have my soul…then I am to have your body…" 

The implications of this, after what the crimson miko had done, left Kagome wide-eyed and completely speechless. However just as she found her voice to ask what she meant by that, the familiar and not to distant sound of a certain voice pierced the calm air.

"KAGOME!"

Kikyou's head shot up, her hair flipping wildly and she looked off in the direction the call had come from, making a distasteful face. The voice called out again. This time it was louder, closer, more urgent.

"KAGOMEE!"

The cry finally registered in Kagome's poor confused mind and she blinked, sitting up a away from Kikyou's hands and looking off to one side a little blearily. "Inu-ya-sha…?" she murmured slowly. But he was still to far off to hear, however coming ever closer. 

Kikyou's face was now marred with indignation. She flashed a venomous look in the direction of the coming hanyou, and then gazed back down at the confused and frightened girl, her face seeming to soften as she did, and again smiled at her.

Kagome's eyes weren't on her right then though, they were facing out toward the woods. Kikyou fixed that by taking the girl's chin in her fingers and turning her face to look at her. Instantly Kagome's eyes became alert to Kikyou's-and she gulped.

Kikyou again leaned in close to Kagome's ear, and Kagome could feel the breath trickling through her hair as she spoke in a low seductive like whisper. "Your hanyou has come, but this is not finished between you and I Kagome-koi. We will finish it soon however. Mark my words…" With that Kikyou shocked Kagome still further by kissing her full on the mouth with a passion the green miko never knew the shibito miko had.

Leaving her breathless, Kikyou let Kagome go completely, leaving her to fall back against the grass dazed and more confused then before.

The shindamachuu surrounded the dead woman and lifted her up into the air. The last thing Kagome heard of her was her soft voice saying "Soon Kagome, I'll see you again soon. Then, your body will be mine." and she vanished just as Inuyasha burst into the clearing.


	3. 3

Chapter 3:

She sat there silent and dazed, staring blankly up at the tree where Kikyou had vanished with her shindamachuu just a few seconds before, her fist balled up on her chest and seemingly completely immobile.  
  
"Kagome! There you are! Where have you been?! I've been looking all over for you! Damn wench…Why do you run off like that?" Inuyasha growled stalking over to her. He stopped then, and blinked, looking down at her. Her eyes were unfocussed and she didn't seem to realize he was there, let alone hear him. "Aa…Kagome?" he knelt down and waved a hand in front of her dazed face. She failed to respond at first, and this perplexed him, so he placed a hand on her shoulder speaking her name. "Kagome?"  
  
Suddenly she gasped, as if she'd been holding her breath for too long, and blinked at the hanyou, her eyes coming back into focus and realizing he was there. "Inu-ya-sha…" she murmured, kind of panting.  
  
Inuyasha gazed at her. "Kagome…are you alright? Is something wrong? Did something happen here? Are you sick?"   
  
"No…no…Not sick…" she mumbled in response-again gazing up at the tree.  
  
Inuyasha stared at her now, and turned his face to look at the tree too, but saw nothing there. He looked back at her. "Well-then what's wrong? You're acting oddly."  
  
And as if to prove that statement the miko began to cry. Not loudly, not willingly by any means, just she started to cry. She turned to the boy and buried her face in his fire-rat suiken and sobbed quietly.   
  
Far be it for Inuyasha to understand why she was crying-and became stalk still when she turned and used him as a crying pillow… "N-no! Kagome-don't-don't cry!" he stuttered, unable to figure out what to do. "I-is this about the fight earlier?!" He tried, trying his best to get her to stop. He never could stand a girl in tears, especially Kagome. It made his heart wrench. "Look-it-it was stupid, and pointless-just forget about it! Though I'm not apologizing…so let's just go…"   
  
Of course he got it all wrong. And now, reminded of the fight she sat up and glared at him. "Th-that's not why I'm crying you-you DOLT!" She yelled, scooting back from him to lean against the tree Kikyou had been leaning on and dragging her knees up to her chest.

"What-?..." Inuyasha looked more confused and a bit sheepish, if that was possible. 'She'd forgotten about it?' he thought to himself. 'Damn it! And I just had to go and bring it up. Now she won't talk to me for the rest of the week!' he snorted a bit, and righted himself, looking at her as she curled up into a ball looking sad. His face lost its sternness as he gazed and he cleared his throat. "So-what-were you crying about then?" he asked carefully.  
  
She looked at him, a frown deeply inset into her face, tear-tracks having made their mark along her cheeks, making her more pitiful looking then before. She was silent for a while, refusing to say a word to the confused hanyou, and then looked away, her face relaxing its irritated frown. "Nothing…never mind…" she mumbled, looking off sideways, anywhere but him. "Let's go…"  
  
Inuyasha's brow lifted. She was avoiding the topic all together now, but since things seemed to be going his way and she seemed to have somewhat forgiven him for the whole fight thing earlier, for now, he failed to question her further on the matter and nodded at her instead. He moved to sit in front of her and helped her up onto his back, and then hoisting her, stood up preparing to leap off.  
  
As he did Kagome gave one last fleeting glance at the tree where Kikyou had vanished minutes before. One single, lone soul light still remained there, bouncing about the branches, looking lost. It was the only thing that remained to let any know that the crimson miko had been there and gone.   
  
Kagome sighed, and placed her head on Inuyasha's back, her hand fisting in his hair as she looked at the one soul as it slowly faded into nothingness, and recalled the last thing Kikyou had said to her-and repeated the last word in a hushed whisper-wondering on what she had fully meant by it. 

"Mine…"  



	4. 4

Chapter 4: 

It had been two weeks since she'd seen Kikyou. Two weeks and Kagome was getting very edgy. Kikyou was not one to break promises-and that made Kagome all the edgier. 

She jumped at every little sound that wasn't in the norm, and kept closer to Inuyasha then normal. Everyone had noticed, but when asked about it she would just reply: "What are you talking about? Nothings wrong! Nothing at all!" and proceed to seclude herself away murmuring something in a language none of them understood. 

They were all becoming worried and Miroku and Sango commissioned the hanyou to keep a real close eye on the girl. Inuyasha gaped at them and growled. "I do that anyway! What do you take me for?" But of course, he upped the surveillance on the little miko and watched her every move. 

Kagome was barely aware of the upped security around her, but she was aware of it to some extent, and forbade Inuyasha to follow her to the hot springs on any account. Of course, it was on one of these jaunts to the springs deep into the second week where Kikyou kept her promise. 

She edged into the spring, one hand held a towel over her chest as she slowly sank into the steaming water with a sigh. Once in she fiddled with it in her hands, making tiny water spouts and waves and trying to relax and enjoy a nice bath alone. "Moments like these are so fleeting around here." she said to herself. "I should stop worrying and enjoy it a little."

No sooner had she said this when there was a rustle in the bushes beside her. She whirled around automatically covering her chest up with her arms as she stared at the noisy greenery. A few seconds of waiting and the bush was pushed lightly aside to reveal the tall form of the one and only red miko. "Kobanwa Kagome-koi." she said silkily, sweet and smiled at her, eyes glowing red a little. 

Kagome gasped outright and stumbled back in the water as she stared at the clay woman. "Y-you! You-you're here…" she stumbled over her words as she spoke "For-me?" she finished sounding choked.

Kikyou continued to smile and barely nodded in response to the question. She removed her clothes and slowly entered the hot springs advancing on the green girl who was frozen stiff with the indecision and fear of running. She placidly lifted her hands up to cup Kagome's cheeks. Kagome visibly cringed and Kikyou chuckled lightly. "Silly girl…You still think I will hurt you. How naï ve you are." she cooed and gently turned Kagome's face to hers.

Kagome just stared into her face openly. She had been trembling and sweating moments before, but for some reason when Kikyou's hands touched her face she stopped and instantly felt calmer, more relaxed. 

Kikyou's smile warmed further. "There now, feel better?" Kagome nodded slowly and Kikyou continued. "As I said before, koi, if you are to have my soul, then I am to have your body, heart, mind and all."

Kagome's eyes were a bit glazed over and she felt a heat start somewhere within her that she'd never felt before. "A-and me…? What of me…?" she asked breathily, her hands coming up to touch Kikyou in the same caressing way. 

Kikyou's eyes shut for an instant, seeming to revel in the younger girl's soft touch before answering. "You, koi, you will have all of my soul…My thoughts, my memories, my hopes and dreams…It is time that you and I both realize the truth in this matter…"

"The-truth?" the little miko questioned with a euphoric like sigh she couldn't control as Kikyou's hands slid from her face tracing lower, along her torso.

"Hai my little green angel…" Kikyou murmured leaning in very close to the girl, letting her feel her breath on her forehead. At Kagome's shuddering response to her administrations she let one hand travel back up Kagome's body to her chin hooking it and turning it ever so slightly up to look at her. 

Kagome gazed back with hazy lust filled eyes, and Kikyou smiled sadly this time. This was how it had to be…How it always should have been, never broken from the start. And as Kagome's fingers began to involuntarily roam over Kikyou's body, Kikyou bent her head and kissed the girl again. Kagome's arms came up to encircle the other miko in a passionate embrace and Kikyou's did the same and a light began to seep from the pair.


	5. 5

Chapter 5:

Somewhere off in the woods near the campsite Inuyasha was getting awfully edgy. "Where is she? She should have been done and back by now!" He ground his teeth and paced back and forth.

Shippou watched him with flicking eyes as he reclined on Miroku's lap licking a lolli-pop. "Maybe you scared her off again! What did you do this time you big fat-head?!" he exclaimed.

That resulted in a smack and a big round bump on the kitsune cub's head. "Shut up you foul-mouthed little bugger!" the hanyou snarled at him. "I didn't do a thing this time! I swear it!"

"Mmm…I agree, Kagome-chan has been gone for an awfully long time." Sango piped up from the fire pit where she was busy frying up some fish on skewers. 

"Well I'll go check on her and see if she's all right then, shall I?" Miroku offered with a grin and began to stand up till he was suddenly walloped on the head by the Hiraikotsu.

"OH no you won't Houshi-sama. You dirty pervert. I'll go look for her. No way would she appreciate you staring at her if she's all right and just soaking." But as the tajiya set off to find the missing miko at the springs Inuyasha's hand gripped her arm to stop her from going. She blinked and looked at the hanyou.

"Don't…I think I have to go find her." He said in a low growl. When Sango was about to protest and say that Kagome had specifically asked that he not look for her while she was bathing he cut her off before she could speak. "I smell Kikyou…" that was all he said before he let go of Sango and leapt off.

Sango blinked and backed up a bit, looking back at Miroku. "Kikyou?" She asked with an arched brow.

Miroku pressed his lips together and shook his head with a shrug. Shippou muttered something behind the monk's back. "Damn fool…That's probably the very reason she hasn't come back yet."

Meanwhile the hanyou was racing towards the scent of the shibito miko-which now he could tell was severely intertwined and tangled with the tangible sweet smell of Kagome. What was going on here? Suddenly just as he reached the edge of the spring where their scents were strongest a huge bright white light burst from the waters causing a slight tsunami to raise up and slosh across the shore. "What in the seven-?!"

In the springs Kagome and Kikyou were wrapped in an intense embrace in the center of the light. A slight moan escaped each one and unexpectedly both of their eyes shot wide open and their irises became as black as sackcloth as their heads flew back and they stared sightlessly into the sky. 

Inuyasha regained his footing in time to see the light explode a second time and then wane down to a dwindling nothing. He blinked covering his face with his suiken sleeve as it happened. The scent of Kikyou gradually vanished with the light-or more seemed to mix in with the scent that was left, Kagome's scent. As soon as the light was gone completely he leapt towards the water. "KAGOME!"

~*~

The euphoric feeling around her faded slowly. She felt Kikyou all around her; it was heavier then an embrace, what she was feeling. All she could describe it as was that she was feeling Kikyou. All of Kikyou, in every possible way. And slowly as the euphoria faded she felt the miko vanish sort of, or more melt into her, as if she was becoming her. 

Gradually Kagome came to understand what the crimson miko had been saying to her at last. 

"If you are to have my soul…then I am to have your body…" 

The words echoed in the girl's mind as she slipped back into the springs, face down. Yes. She finally understood. And now, Kikyou had her body, and she had Kikyou's soul and things were no longer asunder but as they should have been, always should have been. Never to have been broken in the first place. 

Save for one thing:

The hanyou's voice called out across the waters to her loud and clear. He was looking for her. Under the waters surface a wicked smile crossed her lips, and she slowly lifted her face from the water, her eyes glowing a little red in their depths. 

"Inuyasha…Everything must die. And you still will, with me…" 

Yes, Kikyou had her body, and Kagome had her soul.

The End.


End file.
